Love Shot
by Higuchimon
Summary: Kinshiro will do anything at all for Atsushi's sake. Even challenge Cupid himself when Atsushi could be in the target zone.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!  
 **Title:** Love Shot  
 **Romance:** Kinshiro x Atsushi  
 **Word Count:** chapter 1: 2,213||story: 2,213  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section H8, a multichapter with exactly 4 chapters. This was also written for Kinshiro's birthday.  
 **Summary:** Kinshiro will do anything at all for Atsushi's sake. Even challenge Cupid himself when Atsushi could be in the target zone.

* * *

Kinshiro didn't often take breaks from doing the paperwork that the Student Council required. He did so just _slightly_ more these days than he had some weeks earlier, but more now because he had much more enticing thoughts to think than just conquering the world. The image of Atsushi floated into his mind without warning, and when that happened, he could hardly keep his mind on his work at all. He found the more it happened, the less it mattered, and five or ten minutes of restful daydreaming often sent him back to his work with renewed vigor.

He took one of those rests after plowing through at least half of what he needed to do that day, rising up and moving over to the broad window, peering outside. He knew that this was a free period and it wasn't unlikely for him to catch a glimpse of Atsushi out there somewhere. It would all depend on what the other had chosen to do today, be it stay in the Earth Defense Club's clubroom or wander somewhere else. Sometimes he even came over to visit Kinshiro, but today he knew that the president would be working out the last of the day's work and he seldom intruded on that.

Without having to think much about it, Kinshiro's gaze moved downward to where he could see those five familiar faces settled in a circle. He presumed they were talking about something, but he had no idea of what it could be, being far too high to hear them.

Listening in wasn't his style anyway, and Kinshiro far preferred to remain where he was, watching Atsushi as he relaxed and enjoyed himself.

 _At least he can relax now._ There wasn't anyone else planning to take over the world, or pretending to, or whatever had actually been going on. No reality TV shows with oddly colored alien animals telling him exactly what he wanted to hear.

A movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he glanced upward, more from curiosity than anything else. He didn't expect to see anything dangerous.

At least, he didn't until he realized that someone he didn't recognize on _any_ level was pointing a bow and arrow at… at…

Kinshiro normally thought things through exhaustively. Now he let his instincts take their course, as he leaped up through the window and toward the archer aiming for Atsushi. In between one breath and the next he transformed, the black and gold of Aurite wrapping itself around him, and a cold burning flame of fury lighting inside of him.

His sword lashed outward, smashing across the bow in a single heartbeat, and he stood over the stranger, eyes bright and furious. "What do you think you're doing?" He could not imagine why anyone would want to hurt Atsushi like that. He didn't actually _care_ why, so long as no one _did_.

The stranger looked up at him, and where most people would've been angry or scared to see someone so clearly angry, super-powered, and armed, he radiated only annoyance.

"You spoiled my shot." He pushed the tip of Kinshiro's sword to the side and pulled himself to his feet. "You really shouldn't have done that." Then his eyes narrowed and he stared more intently at Kinshiro. "How do you see me, anyway? You shouldn't."

Kinshiro lifted his head, eyes narrowed in his own turn. "What do you mean? Why shouldn't I be able to see you?" He refused to move, shoulders bunching as he raised his blade again.

Before the stranger answered, Kinshiro found he was no longer alone up here. Pearlite and Argent stood on either side of him, with Epinard and Cerulean only a breath behind both of them, and Epinard closer than all of them. Vesta, Scarlet, and Sulfer stood on the far side of the stranger, all of them as wary as Kinshiro himself was.

"I see I've made an impression," the stranger said, one side of his mouth quirking up. His amazingly perfect mouth, Kinshiro noticed a bit vaguely. The more he looked, the more he realized that there wasn't anything _flawed_ about him at all. His hair rested at the most perfect angle on his neck and was a shimmering, burnished shade that never seemed to settle into one look. Similarly, his eyes didn't seem to have one single color to them, but every flavor that anyone could possibly find beautiful.

"Who are you?" Kinshiro demanded. "And why were you aiming at Atsushi?"

The mystery archer reached for his bow and dusted it off before he answered. "I'm Cupid. Perhaps you've heard of me."

Kinshiro didn't move for a moment. "Are you trying to tell us that you're a _god_?"

"No. I _told_ you who I am. You know that I'm a god." Cupid turned his full gaze on Kinshiro, and a wave of emotion that Kinshiro could not properly articulate even to himself swept over him. It wasn't fear; it wasn't lust; it wasn't love. It was something he'd never experienced in his entire life and he simply didn't have the word for it. He found himself wanting to fall to his knees and stare up in worship; his mouth dried up and for the first time he could remember, he knew there was something higher and greater than himself, and it was standing _right in front of him_.

Cupid's lips quirked upward once more. "And I am not surprised at all."

Kinshiro tensed more, fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword. God or no god, he wasn't going to back down and let him hurt Atsushi. He'd done that enough. He wouldn't let anyone else start it up again.

"What do you mean?"

Cupid shook his head, turning his attention to the others gathered there. "You can put your pretty toys down. For one, they won't do me any harm. For another, I don't _mean_ any harm. You should know what my job is. I'm just doing what I always do."

Vesta shifted closer. "What, make people fall in love with each other?" He blinked at Cupid's nod. "And you were aiming for...Atsushi?"

"Yes. Seriously, you are taking _forever_ to get around to saying it," Cupid said, looking right at Epinard. All eight of them froze and Cupid grinned, a brilliant expression that brought to mind the sun rising. "Don't worry. I already know who you all are. And I have no plans to tell anyone else. It just doesn't matter to me."

Kinshiro could not stop himself from taking a quick peek at Epinard. Since they knew each other's identities now, the blur wasn't visible to them, and that meant he had a perfect view of just how much Atsushi was blushing.

 _He's in love with someone?_ Kinshiro's shoulders tightened and he set his jaw. If Atsushi was, then he was, and Kinshiro would not be jealous of the other's interest, whoever it was. He'd had enough of being jealous already, years of it.

He turned back to Cupid. "I don't think you need to go around shooting people to make them like someone else."

"Joke's on you, then, because I _don't_ ," Cupid retorted, sorting through a quiver of arrows that appeared out of nowhere. "I don't _make_ people love each other. I nudge them to admitting it when they already do. That's all there is to it."

"You can't just _make_ love happen!" Vesta agreed. "It has to be natural or it just doesn't work!"

"That's right!" Scarlet threw in his piece. "Real love can't be created with funny arrows!"

Cupid blew out a long tired breath. "Which is exactly what I just said. Now, since you're clearly not going to let me do my job, get out of the way." He glanced toward Atsushi. "I'll take care of you when you don't have your bodyguard around."

It was hard to guess who was more red at that moment, Atsushi or Kinshiro. Kinshiro cleared his throat a little, trying to think his way through this. He couldn't just let this so-called god go flitting off with that kind of ominous statement hanging over their heads.

"I challenge you," he said, the words spilling out without thought. Kinshiro didn't do that often, but when it came to making certain Atsushi wouldn't have to worry about being hit by a love arrow – whether or not he actually already loved someone else – he would do anything. Even challenge a god.

Cupid tilted one eyebrow ever so slightly, volumes of curiosity evident in that one moment. "Oh, you do?"

Kinshiro looked him in the eyes. Everything that he'd felt earlier surged back and Kinshiro fought it away. It didn't matter if he were a god or not. This was for _Atsushi_.

"A contest. If you win, you can do as you please. But if I win, you won't ever, _ever_ touch Atsushi with one of your arrows, no matter what. If he takes forever to tell someone he loves them, then so be it." He glanced quickly toward Atsushi. "Are you all right with this?"

Atsushi blinked a few times, clearly as confused as he'd ever been in his life. Kinshiro could never shake how his insides melted at the look behind those glasses. If he'd been willing to conquer the world to fill the void left by Atsushi, then he was twice as willing to conquer it to _give_ to Atsushi, if he'd ever wanted it.

"Uh...sure? I guess?" He shrugged a little. "I… was just wondering who … I mean..." His cheeks reddened again and he didn't quite meet anyone's eyes.

Cupid chuckled, a deep and rich sort of sound. "Oh, no. I'm not going to tell you if you can't guess for yourself. And I won't tell anyone else, because it's none of their business."

Then he looked back toward Kinshiro. "Now, this challenge of yours. It sounds interesting." A small smile quirked the side of his mouth up. It looked far more attractive than it had any right to and Kinshiro forced himself to keep his mind on business. "Since you issued the challenge, not only do I accept, but _I_ will decide what shape it will take."

Kinshiro steeled himself. This would not be to his advantage. He would not back down. "As you wish."

Again Cupid smiled and Kinshiro found himself thinking of Atsushi and how much sweeter his smile was than this god's, how he wished they could have some time to themselves…

He shook the thought off quickly even as Cupid spoke. He needed to keep his mind on what was going on or he would lose.

"An archery contest. You fancy yourself skilled with a bow, do you not?"

Kinshiro raised his head. There were many reasons that he practiced his skills, but those skills were as well-honed as he could make them. "If that's what you wish."

"Oh, I do indeed." Cupid fingered the string on his bow. "Would you like to start now or would you prefer to have time to think it over?"

Kinshiro could not answer, since at that moment the next bell for class rang. Cupid chuckled.

"I think we'll have to wait. You have classes, of course." He shrugged liquidly. "But you'll want to be at your peak for this anyway, I'm sure. Therefore, we'll have our contest tomorrow, at noon."

Kinshiro began to nod, then frowned. "Where?" He didn't think it would be such a good idea to have it on school grounds. People might wonder who the infernally – or divinely – handsome stranger was and that wasn't a question Kinshiro wanted to get into answering.

That got another one of those smiles from Cupid, the ones that were starting to make Kinshiro very angry just to see.

"My place. I'll pick you all up at the stroke of noon." He tilted his head, eyes sliding over all of them in appraisal. "You should probably make sure you're somewhere where no one will notice if you go on a little trip. I hear humans can get very bent out of shape if they see other humans vanish, and making them forget what they saw isn't in my skill set."

Yumoto started to ask something, one finger upraised, and Cupid interrupted before he could finish the question. "Yes, you can bring your Wombat. But now, I've got to be going. I'll see you tomorrow."

A gust of wind kicked up, forcing them all to cover their eyes, and when they could all see again, there was no sign of Cupid at all. Atsushi shook his head, looking back at Kinshiro.

"Would it be wrong to ask if that actually happened?" Atsushi wondered. "Because I don't know if I want to think we met an actual _god_."

Kinshiro raised his head. "I don't care who he is. I'm going to win this contest." His gaze flicked past Atsushi, who still held a scorch of a blush on his cheeks. He wanted to say so much more, but now just did not seem to be the proper time.

"Come on, we'd better get to our classes," Sulfer said at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Tomorrow would likely be the strangest day they'd had since the festival, no matter what else happened.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!  
 **Title:** Love Shot  
 **Romance:** Kinshiro x Atsushi  
 **Word Count:** chapter 2: 2,139||story: 4,352  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section H8, a multichapter with exactly 4 chapters. This was also written for Kinshiro's birthday.  
 **Summary:** Kinshiro will do anything at all for Atsushi's sake. Even challenge Cupid himself when Atsushi could be in the target zone.

* * *

Try as he might, Kinshiro could not keep himself as focused on his lessons as he knew that he should. Every moment the teacher wasn't talking or pointing out something that would be necessary to know, his mind drifted off toward what would happen the next day and the absolute necessity of winning this contest. He could _not_ let someone else dictate who and when Atsushi fell in love or confessed that love. That should always and forever be Atsushi's own choice.

What bothered him more, and he refused to even think about this at all despite how it lurked in the back of his thoughts, was the question of _who_ that particular chosen person was. Cupid had said that Atsushi already loved them. Him. Her. Whoever. The shot was just meant to encourage him to tell whoever it was about those affections.

 _They're lucky._ His heart twisted so hard and so much at the thought of someone else looking into Atsushi's eyes and seeing them filled with love as he looked back.

Kinshiro's fingers tightened on his pen and it was only due to a quiet, half-whispered word from Arima that he didn't break it completely in two. He nodded a slight bit of thanks and pulled his thoughts back to where they belonged.

He couldn't have said exactly which class this was supposed to be. He didn't think that he cared anymore. He could get any necessary notes and information from Arima after all of this with Cupid was settled anyway. The next day wasn't a school day, which would give them time to work through this.

Kinshiro still had to put on the proper face of the school president, regardless of how little interest he currently had in his subjects. He took notes when he could focus enough on what was being said to have those notes be coherent. But most of his thoughts still kept drifting either to Atsushi or the challenge against Cupid.

 _He expects to win. If he's truly a god, then he's had far more experience than I ever could._

As if Kinshiro intended to let that stop him or so much as slow him down. Archery wasn't just about how much experience one had. It required skill and focus and dedication and he had all of those.

He also had a commitment that he knew for a fact Cupid didn't have. That commitment could, as always, be summed up in one single word: _Atsushi_.

For one of the few times in his school career, he wished that the two of them shared a classroom. But he'd deliberately arranged matters so they wouldn't, using the influence of being school president to put Atsushi and Yufuin in one of the other third year classes, while he and his allies ruled over this one.

At least if he'd put them together, now he'd be able to watch At-chan and make certain Cupid didn't do anything _sneaky_. How much could one trust a god, especially a god whose task was to force others to fall in love?

He would have to trust that Yufuin could keep an eye on At-chan. The only logical explanation for the eight of them to be able to see a divine manifestation was their respective powers; it was the only thing they all had in common and that no one else in the school did. So if Cupid did turn up again before the appointed hour, then Yufuin and At-chan both would see him and know to avoid the situation.

He hoped. Oh, he so _hoped_.

Time ticked by, slow moment by ever-dragging slow moment, and when the bell finally rang for the end of the school day, Kinshiro let out a long, grateful breath and began to gather his possessions. He didn't race out the door at breakneck speed; even now he had to maintain some decorum. Most of all, he didn't want anyone asking why the cool and composed school president launched himself like a missile at his only recently reconciled friend.

There were already more than enough questions on just what had happened at the school festival anyway. They'd all hemmed and hawwed and passed it off as just teenage high spirits and the excitement of the day. Most of the students seemed to accept that. The ones who didn't tended to be the ones who'd already had their lives touched by the battle between Caerula Adamas and the Battle Lovers anyway. But even they weren't asking a whole lot. Most of the questions just tended to circle around why he and At-chan were so close now.

Those he ignored. No matter what, it wasn't anyone else's concern.

No more than it was anyone else's concern that…

He pulled his thoughts away even more sharply from that as he headed into the hallway, Arima and Akoya only a step or two behind him, as always. Neither of them had said anything to him about the situation, but he suspected that was more because there wasn't anywhere they could do so that was safe from intruders. Not as of yet, anyway. Once they were at the Kurotama or at one of their own homes – Kinshiro's by preference – then he had a strong feeling they'd want to know what was going on in more detail.

"Kin-chan?" Atsushi waited outside of his own classroom, Yufuin only a few paces behind him. "Do you have a few moments?"

Of course he did. He nodded briefly toward the other two and came closer to Atsushi.

"Yes?" Kinshiro checked the area quickly for any signs of Cupid around. So far, so good.

Atsushi shifted a little, a hint of nervousness in the set of his shoulders. "Are you still going to do this?"

Kinshiro canted his head to the side. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Nothing at all had happened in the last couple of hours so he would change his mind.

"What if you didn't have to, though?" Atsushi stared into his eyes and Kinshiro's stomach began to do amazingly graceful flips and somersaults. "I mean, what if I – what if it didn't make a difference?"

Kinshiro shook his head at once. "It's going to. I promise." How could Atsushi even think that it wouldn't? "Are you all right?" He peered a bit closer; _was_ it possible for Cupid to have done something and they didn't see him? He had no real idea of the scope of a god's power, especially not this god. Twelve hours earlier, he hadn't even believed such a being existed.

"I'm fine." Atsushi's smile reassured Kinshiro far more than any of Cupid's ever had. "I just don't know if this is the right thing for you to do." He ducked his head, then looked back up. "You see, I think I know who Cupid had in mind, and if I tell them, then… then you wouldn't have to do this, would you?"

Kinshiro set his jaw. "I don't want to take any chances, At-chan. Please. We don't know how much we can trust him, and I'd rather you weren't trapped into something." He checked out the hallway again; there weren't any other students besides them. Even Yufuin seemed to have gone on somewhere else. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Just because he couldn't see them didn't mean they weren't there. The Press Club had proven that on more than one occasion.

Atsushi sighed, a small smile playing on the corners of his lips still. "All right. I told the others we'd meet them at the Kurotama anyway."

"I suspected as much." Kinshiro let himself smile as well. While it wasn't the kind of place he would normally have frequented, it did have a certain kind of charm to it, and the special selling point of being one of Atsushi's favorite places.

As they started toward the nearest exit, Kinshiro thought for a moment he caught a glimpse of gleaming bright hair and feathers, but when he looked, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary.

 _Am I being too tense about this?_ He didn't want to think that, and while he had no intentions of forgetting about the challenge, it was far more enticing to follow in Atsushi's wake and head for the bathhouse.

* * *

The other members of the Earth Defense Club weren't the only ones there. Akoya and Arima also had arrived, though they'd not mentioned any such plans to Kinshiro. He found himself not surprised. Everyone had the same question, and it was much the same one as Atsushi's.

"Yes, I do have to do this," he told them, sinking into the hot water and closing his eyes. "And I'm going to whether I need to or not. No one decides the destinies of those at Binan High School except for those _of_ Binan High School." That included him, at least now.

"Your love for your fellow students is inspiring, President!" Wombat declared, splashing his paws in the water. "Atsushi has been such a good influence on you!" Apparently he'd been filled in on what had happened at some point. That was fine with Kinshiro, so long as he didn't try to get in the way.

Everything else Kinshiro ignored save for a tiny nod of acknowledgment. He would need all the rest he could get before the next day's noon.

"Are you going to practice any before you do this?" Arima wanted to know. Kinshiro rolled the question around in his mind.

"It might not be a bad idea." He practiced regularly anyway but a few extra shots to get himself limber and in the mood would likely not hurt. "In the morning. Before the contest." He didn't want to risk getting himself nervous and too much on the edge now. Already he didn't know if he'd be able to eat, just from the worry fluttering around in his head. So much rode on this and he dared not fail.

"Where should we get together, then?" Zaou asked, pouring a little water over one shoulder. "He said someplace where no one would notice us leaving."

Kinshiro swirled one finger in the water, his eyes still shut. If he looked too much at Atsushi, he thought he might lose track of everything that he had on his mind in favor of just admiring him. "My home." He hadn't yet invited them all there and now wasn't the situation he'd had in mind for doing that, if he ever had planned to so at all. "My parents are away on a trip and the servants will leave us be until I tell them otherwise."

He couldn't see their nods, but he heard the various murmurs of agreement, as well as Zaou murmuring something to Naruko about how he'd always wanted to see inside that place anyway. He would have to ask Akoya to keep an eye on the both of them. He doubted Akoya would mind all that much.

* * *

Cupid lounged outside of the Kurotama Bathhouse, a very amused smile on his lips. He could hear everything that they were saying below him. If he'd been down there, they could've seen him as well. But he stayed right up here where they couldn't and where he could hear every word they exchanged. He liked this situation.

 _This kid is setting himself up for a world of hurt and I think he likes it like that._ Cupid shook his head a little. For all the years he'd been around, he'd met very few people who went so far out of their way to avoid being _genuinely happy_. And yet here was this guy, doing what he was doing, and making himself more miserable by the moment.

Well, if it worked out the way he was pretty sure that it would, then Kinshiro would just _have_ to be happy, whether he actually wanted to be or not.

Cupid toyed with the tip of one of his arrows. He really should've done a little more research when he'd first picked up on all the love spiraling outward from this area. But he'd been busy and hadn't bothered, and that was what got this all started in the first place. That, and these kids just refusing to actually talk to each other.

 _At least I didn't have to work so hard with those other two guys._ He didn't bother to remember most mortals' names, and these two were no exceptions. One had some kind of fixation with chikuwabu and the other with everything being perfect and organized. At least they were happy together now.

And at least he'd soon have this little mission wrapped up, once he'd finished the contest against Kinshiro. He suspected the leader of Caerula Adamas was going to be in for one _very_ large surprise, and the god of love _so_ looked forward to it.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!  
 **Title:** Love Shot  
 **Romance:** Kinshiro x Atsushi  
 **Word Count:** chapter 3: 2,185||story: 6,537  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section H8, a multichapter with exactly 4 chapters. This was also written for Kinshiro's birthday.  
 **Summary:** Kinshiro will do anything at all for Atsushi's sake. Even challenge Cupid himself when Atsushi could be in the target zone.

* * *

It happened in between one moment and the next. First the group stood in an awkward gathering in the Kusatsu family drawing room. Kinshiro hated feeling awkward for any reason, but he'd never had this many people visiting at the same time. He tended to avoid large gatherings if he had a choice, and if he didn't, he still didn't 'socialize' all that well. People just hadn't interested him for years, and that wasn't going to change overnight. Even the fact these people – and a wombat – were his friends, didn't change that.

Hakone was about to open his mouth to say something when everything around them _changed_. From the elegantly decorated room – he'd heard someone muttering something about how they were afraid to look at anything lest it get dirty – to a sudden outdoors courtyard, they were no longer at his home.

They were in Cupid's.

If the Kusatsu home was the evidence of wealth held for long years, then Cupid's castle was that wealth itself, used to build the surroundings. The castle itself gleamed in deep tones of pink and red, harmonizing with one another flawlessly. Instead of flagstones, a wide reach of shimmering green grass reached in every direction, out of human sight on every side except for where the castle rose in glittering splendor.

"Whoa..." The word rose from nearly all of their throats. Kinshiro kept himself quiet, his hand clenching around his bow. He'd spent time in practice beforehand and thought he was as relaxed as he could get. He would relax now. He would need to focus later, when the time came.

The time that was now almost upon them.

"It's been a long time since there were any mortals here!" A female voice spoke, and as one they turned to where it came from. Standing on the steps of the castle, in front of a broad gate crafted of bronze, stood a woman, every bit as lovely as Cupid himself was handsome. Like him, her features seemed to shift to whatever someone might find attractive.

It bothered Kinshiro more than he wished to admit that her hair slipped to blue when he looked at her, and he could not pull his eyes away for the sake of being polite. He focused his attention instead on the door behind her.

"Well, hello, there!" Zaou perked up first, as probably was not unexpected, and bounded over there to her. "I didn't think we were going to meet anyone this beautiful while we were here!"

She laughed, a rippling sound that at least attempted to put everyone at their ease. Kinshiro would not be at ease until they were away from here, with Atsushi's freedom to speak or not intact.

"You do like to flatter people, don't you, Zaou Ryuu?" The woman replied, an arch little smile quirking the corner of her mouth. "You're not _quite_ as good as it as my dear husband, however."

"Husband?" Zaou almost looked disappointed. "And who might that be, ma'am?"

A very familiar laugh, at least in comparison to hers, came as answer. "Me, of course." And now Cupid stood beside the lady. "I would like to introduce you all to Psyche, my wife."

Zaou tilted his head, then a warm smile wreathed its way around his face. "Of course. I should've remembered the stories." He made a rather extravagant bow toward her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Cupid looked as if he wanted to smile even more broadly than he already was. He gestured toward the gathered group. "Dear, these are the mortals I told you about. The Battle Lovers and Caerula Adamas. They had a bit of a tiff a few weeks ago but that's all sorted out now, and that means it's time for me to work my magic." His eyes rested on Kinshiro for a moment. "But Kusatsu Kinshiro disagrees with me influencing Kinugawa Atsushi to confess his emotions to his true love."

Psyche looked from one of them to the other, then turned to Cupid, one eyebrow quirked upward. Kinshiro had the very strong feeling they were speaking to one another in some way that he couldn't understand, and he didn't like it. He liked it even less when he spied Cupid nodding ever so slightly, hardly more than a tilt of his head, but there all the same.

"When do we begin?" Kinshiro asked, wanting to have this settled as soon as possible. He had scarcely eaten a morsel of food all day, despite Arima's insistence once he'd found that out. His stomach whirled around too much for him to even think about keeping anything down. He hoped that once this was over, that would change. He really needed something to eat.

Cupid shook his head, more amusement than ever glinting in his eyes. "You're very determined about this, aren't you?"

"Yes." Kinshiro gripped his bow and met those eyes without hesitation. He didn't care what Cupid did to other people. He cared about what Cupid did to Atsushi. Or wanted to do to Atsushi.

"Very well. The sooner this is done, the better. You're right on that." Cupid gestured and once again they were someplace different. He and Kinshiro stood on an archery range, targets set far back, while the rest of the group, and Psyche, relaxed in an elegant golden observation stand. All of them had drinks in hand and plates of their favorite snacks at their elbows.

Kinshiro squared his shoulders and looked at Cupid. "A standard contest?"

"For now," Cupid replied, nodding, his own bow in hand. "For the sake of clarification, these are the terms and goals: if I win, then I will shoot Kinugawa Atsushi with one of my love-arrows, granting him the desire and the courage to speak of his emotions to the one that he loves. If _you_ win, then I will _not_ do this, and he will make that decision as he chooses." He met Kinshiro's eyes directly. "Agreed?"

"Agreed." Kinshiro did not look at Atsushi, though he did want to. Later, he told himself. When this was settled.

Cupid indicated the targets. "Are those sufficient or would you like them to look different?" A wicked smile twitched over his lips. "I can have them look like anything you want. Or anyone you want. Observe."

At that, the targets shifted, transforming first into a large goldfish, a green hedgehog, and then both members of the Press Club. Kinshiro set his jaw and shook his head. He wasn't going to get distracted by his emotions. That wasn't what this was about.

"I like that last option there," Akoya said, voice floating down from the stands. "I wonder if I could have a chance at it when they're done."

It took Kinshiro a moment to click to that. He'd been too dazed and confused when it happened to notice, but Arima told him of how Akoya punched out the reporter on the Press Club and sent him and his cameraman scurrying away. Clearly Akoya's grudge hadn't cleared with just one hit.

He caught sight of Zaou leaning over to Akoya; he and Naruko sat on opposite sides of the Student Council secretary. Zaou's voice could be heard as clearly as Akoya's by the two archers. "But we already know that you've got a good fist on you. We were watching that time, you know."

Kinshiro couldn't tell if Akoya blushed but he saw the other's head raise up in pride. "Of course you'd notice something like that instead of my beauty!"

Naruko chuckled for a quick moment. "There's nothing wrong with noticing _every_ good quality on someone, is there?"

"Besides, you already notice how beautiful you are enough for ten people. Why can't I see something that _I_ find attractive?"

Kinshiro had somewhat wondered what it might take to have Akoya genuinely blush. Now he knew.

"If you could save your flirting for later?" Arima asked, turning around to look at the three of them, a slight hint of reprimand in his tone. "Kinshiro is doing something important and we need to pay attention."

That brought Kinshiro's attention back to what he was supposed to be doing. Cupid hadn't stopped smiling the whole time and now he addressed the stands.

"Zaou Ryuu, I could find work for you. But there are certain requirements beforehand. Like sorting out your own love life first." Sheer, raw amusement lit up the god's features. "But we can talk about that later." He gestured to Kinshiro. "You can have the first shot. We'll each shoot seven arrows."

Kinshiro knew a great deal not just about archery as he preferred it, but how it was done in other lands as well. This wasn't entirely by any of the standard rules, but so long as he achieved his goal, he saw nothing to complain about.

He pulled out his first arrow and set it to the bow. Cupid remained silent as he drew the string and aimed for the target, now back to being _just_ an ordinary target. Kinshiro cleared his mind and thought only of the bow, the arrow, and target. That alone mattered.

At just the right moment, he released, and the arrow sped toward the target, landing dead center. Cheers came from the stands and he identified the loudest one as being Atsushi. Thrills raced all through him and he fought them back. The contest wasn't over. Six more arrows remained.

Cupid took his place in front of his own target. "You're good. But I do have a lot more practice." He shot, almost without seeming to look at the target, and his arrow lodged absolutely dead center as well. Only silence rang back this time, until Atsushi broke it.

"Keep going, Kin-chan!"

Kinshiro reached for his second arrow. One shot was just one shot.

Shot by shot, each taking turns, the arrows blazed across to the targets. Kinshiro let all of his gather into a tight group in the center of the target. Cupid's came so close to splitting each one that Kinshiro wondered if he were avoiding doing so on purpose. But by all the rules, their score was precisely even when it came down to the last arrow.

Cupid held up one hand as Kinshiro reached for the last arrow, the one that would decide everything. "I think it's time to increase the stakes just a small degree."

"What?" Kinshiro tensed at that. He didn't like the look on Cupid's face at all.

"This is a contest to determine Atsushi's fate. Therefore, he should be a part of this."

Before Kinshiro could say a word to stop him, Cupid twisted his fingers and Atsushi vanished from the stands. The targets faded away as well, and then Atsushi stood there, golden chains wrapped around his wrists, keeping him bound to a tall pole. Over the center of his chest there hung a silver target marker.

"This is our last target," Cupid told him. He gestured toward Kinshiro's arrow, which shifted and morphed until it was a mirror of the love-god's own. "You can hit him anywhere you like with that and he won't die. I'm not in this to kill anyone." He leaned closer to Kinshiro now. "You have to hit him to win. You can't just let it graze him or hit the target area. If you don't hit him, you lose."

Each word fell like thunder in Kinshiro's ears. He couldn't seem to hear anything anyone else had to say, even though he could see them shaking their fists and their heads in the stands. He looked at Atsushi, who didn't move, but just looked back at him.

 _He trusts me,_ Kinshiro realized. _He trusts me not to hurt him._

Shooting him wouldn't hurt him. Not physically. Atsushi would just have to say what he felt to whoever he loved. It wasn't that bad of a bargain, and Kinshiro would've won the contest.

He'd lost very few things in his life, and the number of them he liked losing he could count on his fingers. The idea of adding another to them wasn't an attractive one.

He drew up the bow and took aim on the target. It would only take a moment. He had no doubt he could hit it. That wasn't an issue at all.

 _If it were me, would it be any better than if it were Cupid doing this? If I don't, he'll just do it anyway._

Kinshiro's arms trembled, but he didn't feel tired. Hunger, thirst, weariness, all of that faded away, leaving only the bow and the arrow and the target.

Atsushi.

His At-chan.

Who stared at him with those eyes of his, such faith, such trust.

How could Kinshiro break that trust? How could he have come all this way and do this?

 _I'm sorry, At-chan. I'm so sorry._

He swallowed and lowered the bow, turning toward Cupid. He didn't cry. He was Aurite, leader of Caerula Adamas. He was Kusatsu Kinshiro. Neither Aurite nor Kinshiro wept, no matter how much he wanted to. He let the love arrow drop to the ground.

"I surrender."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!  
 **Title:** Love Shot  
 **Romance:** Kinshiro x Atsushi  
 **Word Count:** chapter 4: 2,136||story: 8,673  
 **Genre:** Romance|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Challenge:** Diversity Writing, section H8, a multichapter with exactly 4 chapters. This was also written for Kinshiro's birthday.  
 **Summary:** Kinshiro will do anything at all for Atsushi's sake. Even challenge Cupid himself when Atsushi could be in the target zone.

* * *

Silence so complete had never reigned before. All of the observers, Atsushi, and Cupid all looked at Kinshiro. Arima slowly shook his head, complete disbelief written across every feature. Atsushi scarcely recalled how to breathe at the moment.

Cupid, however, smiled. "You surrender. You forfeit the match and the consequences of it."

Kinshiro, shoulders tight and jaw set, could only answer with an abrupt nod. Words choked in his throat and he couldn't bring himself to meet anyone's eyes.

"Very well, then." Cupid nodded in acceptance. "Then by the terms we agreed upon, I am allowed to pierce Kinugawa Atsushi's heart with one of my arrows at the time of my choosing."

Kinshiro's lips pressed together. He forced words out regardless. "I'm sorry, At-chan. But if I shot you with one of his arrows, I'd be doing what I didn't want him to."

Atsushi managed something that resembled a smile. It was a little unsteady but he tried anyway. "Kin-chan, it's all right. I'm not mad at you."

Cupid waved one hand and silence fell again. "You can save all of that for later. It's been _wonderful_ having you visit, but I think it's time that you went home now." His smile blazed across the area like a newly risen sun. "I'll see you all sooner or later. You may or may not see me." He started to wave a hand, then stopped, pointing at Ryuu. "You and I need to have a talk at some point. I could always use good assistants and you've got a lot of potential." He raised one finger a fraction as Ryuu stared back, as surprised in his own fashion as Kinshiro or Atsushi. "But first you need to sort out your own romantic issues. One of my assistants can't sit around not knowing where his own heart lies."

Ryuu blinked a time or two and shook his head as if to clear it. "What are you talking about? I love _all_ the ladies! You can't expect me to just pick one."

"That's not exactly what I meant, and what you said there is part of the issue. You're cutting off a lot of possibilities there. But we can talk about that another time. If you don't figure it out before I have some spare time for you."

Cupid then turned his attention to Atsushi. "Now, I _do_ have the time for you right now and we're going to talk once everyone else is gone."

Kinshiro started to reach forward, but it was of no use. Between one breath and the next, they were no longer in Cupid's lovely realm, but back where they'd started in his family's mansion. Psyche's voice whispered in their ears.

"He's always so abrupt, but that's his nature. Your friend will return shortly. Have no fear. Cupid will not harm him."

As her voice faded away, Kinshiro swallowed and shook his head as well, though he didn't know if he were trying to clear it or something else altogether. He stumbled his way to the nearest seat and only failed to flop down into it because his own rigid control wouldn't allow anything aside from a slightly tired slipping into it.

"Would this help?"

Kinshiro looked up to see Arima setting a cup of tea down in front of him. He didn't even bother to check the clock; it didn't matter how long he'd been sitting there. Atsushi still wasn't back. But he picked the cup up and held it for a moment, focusing on the warmth of it to get his mind back in order.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice shaking only a small fraction. He would get himself under control. He would remain under control. This wasn't nearly as horrible as finding out that he'd been manipulated by Zundar since the moment they'd met.

Only it was, it was much, much worse, because he'd tried to help Atsushi and ended up giving him back into the hands of that _god_ , instead of at least having the courage to do things himself. No, his own weakness was now exposed to them all, harder and stronger than before, and he could only imagine how they would all hate him for it.

"Hey." He didn't look up. Not at _that_ voice, not when he could look up into a certain set of sleepy eyes. "You did the right thing. What would be the point of shooting him when you were trying to save him from that?"

Kinshiro said nothing. Perhaps another time he would believe that he'd done the right thing, but right now, he just wanted to be alone with his personal misery. It was, after all, the one friend that had never left him in all this time.

He could hear all of their other voices, all gabbling together and suggesting what should be done about him. 'All' except Atsushi. That one he didn't expect and he didn't hear at all and he didn't think that he wanted to, not right now. The next time he did see At-chan, the other would probably have confessed his feelings to the lucky person.

 _It's Yufuin. You know it is._ His own doubts and fears crept all around him, reminding him of how close At-chan and Yufuin En were even now that he and At-chan had reconciled from that long gone argument. Who else would it be?

Somewhere along the way, the voices faded away and when he pulled himself out of his internal misery enough to look around, he remained alone in the room, save for the empty teacup in front of him. A note on the table, in Arima's impeccable writing, told him that he and Akoya chose to urge the others to the Kurotama, and he was welcome to join them whenever he chose. Until then, he should just try to rest and wait to talk to Atsushi when he returned from Cupid's mansion.

Kinshiro thought he smiled a little at that. He wasn't fully certain. What he did know was that Atsushi hadn't returned yet even now and the sun edged closer to the horizon.

 _I suppose I should join them._ He didn't really want to, not without Atsushi, but for all he knew, At-chan might not come back until tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next. He told himself that he was being ridiculous, but this one time, it was something he couldn't stop.

He managed to pull himself to his feet, determined to do something more than sit there. It wasn't as if Atsushi were _dead_. He just… loved someone. Would be telling them of how he loved them. And likely being told that they loved him in return.

The whole thought of that sent his insides jerking with rage. He wanted to be happy for Atsushi and Yufuin – he had seen nothing to convince him that Atsushi's love would be anyone else. Part of him _was_ happy for them.

But another part howled with rage and grief for himself. _Why not me? What's wrong with me? Am I not good enough?_ He refused to say that out loud. But the words hovered behind his lips anyway and he wished that he could say them where it would do some good instead of here in an empty room.

"I love you, At-chan," he murmured, at least able to say that. It would do nothing to ease his pain, but the words were _said_.

Someone knocked at the door. Kinshiro straightened up, a slight frown on his lips. No one but one of the servants should be there at this hour. Even if Akoya or Arima had returned, someone would've warned him.

He quickly made certain he was in good enough shape to receive company, whomever it might be, and cleared his throat. "Come in." He truly only expected a servant.

But the door swung open and Atsushi stood there, a hesitant smile on his lips. "Kin-chan?"

Everything inside of Kinshiro froze to ice, unthawed, and iced again. He swallowed and straightened up all over again, trying to pull some kind of control over himself.

"Oh. You're back." He wanted to sound mildly interested. To his ears, he sounded almost cold.

Atsushi didn't react to that, so maybe he was wrong. Instead, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Yes. I… Kin-chan, I need to talk to you."

Kinshiro, on the verge of asking what Atsushi wanted and where Yufuin was, felt the words freezing on his lips. What he actually said was, "You do?"

"Yes. It's Cupid's idea." Atsushi laughed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "I could've figured it out on my own, I think, but I wanted to do it at the right time, and I never knew when the right time _was_."

Nothing coherent seemed to want to come out of Kinshiro's mouth, so he settled for nodding a bit. Why was Atsushi telling him this? What did it have to do with anything?

"I really should've told you this right after everything," Atsushi kept on talking, moving closer as he did. "But we'd _just_ made up and I didn't want to get it wrong. And I still don't."

Coherent words hadn't yet managed to sort themselves out. Kinshiro could not understand at all why Atsushi was even here, let alone what he was talking about. So he managed to nod, hoping to get more information and perhaps figure out what At-chan meant by all of this.

"Cupid said that sometimes there were things that you could say without words. So I guess maybe if I try that, you'll understand it better than if I just said it anyway." Atsushi smiled and all worry about why he was there and what he wanted fell away from Kinshiro in the light of that smile. He even let the mention of Cupid slip by. He could work that out later.

Atsushi moved closer to him. Kinshiro didn't move, but he did manage to work out a coherent question.

"Atsushi? What are you talking about?" He thought that might've gone over better if he'd said it before what Atsushi said, but he would work with what he had.

"This." Atsushi stood in front of him, so close that Kinshiro could feel his body heat, and leaned forward. Kinshiro still didn't understand what was going on.

But everything suddenly became very clear when Atsushi touched their lips together. His eyes widened and his hands fell onto Atsushi's shoulders as he began to kiss back, his heart pounding, his knees weak, unable to do anything but be this close to Atsushi, and not wanting to move away forever.

A soft whimper slipped out between his lips when Atsushi finally moved away, even though he didn't go very far. Kinshiro couldn't conceive of not kissing him from now until the end of the world.

"At-chan?" He murmured, not completely certain of what was going on, but still knowing he didn't want this to stop.

"It's you, Kin-chan," Atsushi murmured, his hands sliding around Kinshiro's waist. "It's you I love."

Oh. Well. That… that answered a few things. Though Kinshiro could not help but wonder just a little if this were some kind of trick of Cupid's, something to make him feel better after having been so defiant and then failing to shoot…

 _You really don't want to ever be happy, do you?_ Cupid's voice rang in his mind, so very amused and slightly annoyed at the same time. _The only thing I have to do with this now is the fact you saw me and that whole contest happened in the first place. Atsushi's loved you for a long time now. You were always the one he would've confessed to, even if you'd never seen me aiming for him. Now could you just let yourself_ _ **be happy**_ _? It's not that hard. Oh, and just so you know, I never hit him with my arrow. We just talked. So don't try to tell yourself this is fake in any way._

Kinshiro gasped, partly from Cupid's words, partly from the way Atsushi leaned closer once more, their eyes drawn to one another. He swallowed, feeling the real, living warmth of Atsushi against him. He needed to say something, didn't he? Yes. Something very important.

"I love you, too, At-chan."

If he'd known Atsushi's eyes could light up like that or that kissing him again would be so incredibly sweet and passionate, he would've said it every time they met, just to see that.

He didn't say it every time after that, not with words, but with touches and actions, with looks and smiles, Kinshiro spent as much time as he could telling Atsushi just how much he loved him. And every time, Atsushi said it right back to him.

 **The End**

 **Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


End file.
